PlayStation Plus: Your Questions Answered

July 30th Update: The content per month isn’t determined as day one content and is content that will be made available through the month.

PlayStation Nation — First off, thank you for all of your feedback regarding PlayStation Plus. There have been a lot of comments and questions surrounding some of the details of the new subscription service so we wanted to provide a little clarification leading up to its availability on June 29th. It’s a lot of info, but hopefully this helps answer most of your questions.

With that, here are the basics of the new subscription service that lives on top of the current PlayStation Network:

The current PSN features will remain free. We are still very committed to PSN as a free comprehensive entertainment service and are certainly not planning on reducing this service following the launch of PlayStation Plus.

PlayStation Plus is an evolving service and the features included at launch will be:

Games

PS Store Discounts

Exclusive offers on select demos, betas and early purchases

Full Game Trial

Automatic Downloads

(More info on these below)

PlayStation Plus can be purchased through PlayStation Store on PS3 as a one-year package or a three-month package. The three-month package is available for $17.99 and the one-year package will be available for $49.99. We will also be offering three additional bonus months for free if you purchase the 1-year package — that’s 15 months total for $49.99.

Payment is a one-time fee for either package and can be purchased with any of the current PSN Store payment methods – credit card or PSN Cards.

Here are more details on the features of PlayStation Plus:

Games & Special Offers: As a subscriber, you can expect to get your hands on free monthly PSN games, minis and PS One Classics from the PSN Store. You will be able to download these games during the month they are available until the new selection replaces them.

Once downloaded, the games are yours to keep and play as long as you are a member of PlayStation Plus. If your subscription lapses and then you re-subscribe, the games you have already downloaded will reactivate, so you still have access to them. Additionally, if you delete one of the titles from your PS3, but decide you want to get it back, then you can re-download from the PlayStation Plus section of the PSN Store if the game is still there, or, if the game has expired from the PlayStation Plus section of the PSN Store, you can simply search for it on PS Store and download it again at no extra cost.

Each month there will be dynamic themes, premium avatars and premium game elements/add-ons for you to download and many will be exclusive to PlayStation Plus members only. These are yours to keep forever once you have downloaded them.

PlayStation Plus subscribers will also be given exclusive PlayStation Store discounts each month that are above and beyond the current PSN Store discounts available to everyone. These discounts will range from 20% to 50%, and anything you buy with these is yours to keep and enjoy forever.

Finally, wherever possible we’ll be making sure that members are included in selected demos and beta trials before they go live to everyone else, so you can be the one to tell all your friends about the next big game they ‘must’ get.

Subscribers will get hundreds of dollars of value through the year and, in the first month alone, will receive more than $50 worth of content.

Full Game Trial: Each month we will be offering members the chance to download full games and try them out for a period of time (one hour, unless otherwise stated). After the game trial is complete, simply purchase the game to carry on where you left off. This is a unique way to trial the full game experience and means you don’t have to be restricted to certain levels/game modes when you test out a game.

The games in Full Game Trial will become available to all PS Store users to purchase, but only PlayStation Plus members will have the chance to ‘try before you buy’.

The other great thing about this feature is that you can continue from where you were at the end of the trial period if you decide to buy the game. All game saves and trophies earned during the trial will be unlocked and will show up on your trophy list and your trophy level when you purchase the game. You don’t even have to re-download the game, just purchase and go back to the XMB to access the game.

Automatic Download: Subscribers will be able to set their PS3 to wake up from standby at any time of the day or night, download and install any game updates for the games you have been playing so you don’t have to think about it. Also, select demos and videos will be pushed to your PS3 ready to go. System software updates will also download automatically (manual install still required) and then the PS3 will turn itself off again.

Game updates and demos will also automatically install and the next time you turn on your PS3 you will see a brief on-screen message letting you know what has been downloaded and updated.

Here are some more answers to frequently asked questions from the last blog post:

Cross-game voice chat is a feature we know our passionate user base has asked for and we’ll continue to look at as a viable offering for the PlayStation Network.

You need to be the master account holder on the PS3 and be over 18 to purchase PlayStation Plus, but other accounts on that PS3 will be able to play the games you download for as long as you are a subscriber.

The “free” games you can download each month are yours to keep for as long as you are a subscriber.

PlayStation Plus is for PS3 owners as subscribership can only be purchased on the PSN Store. However, some of the content – minis and PS One Classics – available each month will also be playable on your PSP if you have one. Download them on the PS3 and transfer to your PSP, or download directly from the PSP Store or Media Go for PSP.

PlayStation Plus is a continually evolving service and we are always working on identifying new partnerships, developing new features and providing new content that our users want. So thanks again for all your comments and questions and please continue to offer more ideas at PlayStation.Blog Share.

Why is Sony Keeping its customers in the dark about the feature set, the expected release date of certain features. Clearly executives have confirmed cross game chat yet the blog says it is only being looked into as a viable option? Either there is no communication within sony corporate and/or complete disorganization. I’m astounded at the introductory feature set of psn plus in Europe includes little big planet free with no strings attached (free to keep regardless if you resubscribe or not) where is the comparable gift to American subscribers?

Dear Sony, as a playstation member, i enjoy the new service even though its just in the first month. However I would suggest something. buying infamous i noticed i spent 30 dollars on the game. ok i understand that being the MSRP price, however it would be nice to have a 10 dollar off in psn+ games if you become a member.

As for others who didnt check the rules of the psn+. all game add-ons are yours to keep even with psn+ expired, however you must own the game for the add-ons to take effect.

Sony I know you’re working hard on the new service and trying to provide us with better detail. i took the 15 month subscription as a trial base, if i like it, i will keep joining. The only thing that concerns me is, the automatic subscription. it would be better if the system would ask if you want to renew it, otherwise i wouldnt try to put more than 30 USD on my psn.

post 591 LegendSoldierX said “i was interested in this service until it said sub-accounts can’t subscribe to PS+ :( now i can’t get PS+ even if i wanted to! Thanks Sony!”
1.Why Can’t You? Doesn’t Everyone Have To Have Atleast 1 Master Account on Their PS3 System?
2.Just Create a New Master Account on Your PS3 System Then Go Back and Use Your Original Account/PSN ID
3.Sub-Accounts on Your PS3 System can Use PS+ They Just Can’t Subscribe (Purchase) to PS+
4.Is it Cold in Here or is it Just You?
5.And Yes Thanks Again Sony :)

I played the full game trial of Infamous that was available to subscribers, and I want to buy the game. But I plan on buying the disc version instead of the downloadable one. Will my trophies be unlock by running my disc version?

Wheres my cross game chat the was promised to us i see no cross game chat i hear no more talk of it from sony don’t make promises you can’t keep and for the lies about giving us cross game chat i’m really thinking about buying a 360 and throwing my ps3 away because i’m really starting to hate you sony you never give us what we want why pay 50$ for a beta or demo whan they come out a week later so stop your BS AND GIVE US CROSS GAME CHAT and if you don’t your just going to keep losing people to Wii & 360 like you do you game tides.

I was actually considering doing a 3 month run of PSN+ until I found out that if you cancel the service, you don’t get to keep any of the “free” games you received. What kind of bull is that? So you’re not really GIVING us anything, you’re just LEASING us a few games. That’s just shady. Forget it, I’m not wasting a dime of my money when, if I cancel the service later, I’ll have nothing to show for it.

Can’t wait to get it , right now I can’t but I will very soon and from what I hear and see in what the plus offers us it way better than 360 ,microsoft is just robbing them go playstaion better games does everything !!!!!!!!

Why is sony so hellbent on keeping friends only together on their terms no cross game chat still thats garbage sony. Pull your heads out your butts I love my ps3 but i can always chat with my friends over xbox live no matter if we are playing the same game or not since DAY ONE HELLO SONY PEOPLE LIKE TO talk. “GET your BUTTS in GEAR” How lame is it to chat on xbox live with your friends while you are all on your ps3’s doing stuff aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh sony why do you think xbox does so good cause they keep people together……………….

This looks great, even better that we get to have free service if we dont like it. One question which i cant find anywhere, i understand trial game trophies being reactivated when bought but with the free full games do we keep trophies even after we stop subscribing or do we lose them with the game. Do we like keep the trophies only when were subscribed?

Will there be a rebate on plus for Qore subscribers? Since I already paid for Qore I’m not sure I’d like to pay even more a new service that includes Qore, I mean I’ll wait until the end of my subscription to get plus if there’s no option to get plus for the year fee minus the value of what’s left of my Qore subscription, wouldn’t it be right? Thanks

My question and maybe I misunderstood what I read before or it was not properly expressed by Playstation, is that I would be getting discounts on games and DLC that is how it came across to me when I read about it. Now I find out it is only games or DLC that Playstation puts under the PLUS section this was not properly addressed. For example first free game was Wipeout HD which I got so I think that any DLC or add-on for this game should be discounted but NO I went to buy the FURY add-on and it cost $9.99. There was no mention anywhere I read prior to getting Playstation Plus that it would be for games that Playstation selects for discounts or for DLC. I am not asking for things to be free but a discount on games or DLC would be great because that is the number one reason I got the PLUS. I feel a lot was left out when this was introduced to the public and many as myself feel ripped off !!!

Ok, so it has been asked 300 times yes if you drop your subscription you lose the “Free Games” (that you payed to receive.) but if your internet fails you also loose the game. About this word “free” its a sales pitch, what it means is PSN has estimated the average customer spends around $50 per year on add ons, PSone classics, etc. however, Im sure about $40 of that an average that costumer spends is on hit games add ons like Call of Duty Modern Warfare2 each map pack was 14.99 and im sure PSN wouldn’t discount that because they know we will pay full price for it. Its all about profit, go back to page 1 where a guy asked “How does this service affect those of us who already subscribe to Qore? If we are only have way through our subscription will there be any compensation if we purchase plus?” and What was your answer…”We realize that some Qore subscribers will also want to subscribe to PlayStation Plus. We are sure that you will find there is a ton of great content, special deals and cool features in PS Plus and recognize that adding Qore is a bonus for Plus users and not the main contraction.” That’s a big [DELETED] no but im gonna make the answer confusing so you are thrown off track and mindlessly buy our product.

for the same price we can get XBL which has discounted games, most are 50% less than they are on PSN. Then XBL also has punk buster an anti hacking software. Nost importantly their voice chat brutally rapes the ps3’s. All im saying is 360 users get what they pay for. I would love to pay $50 for 6 months if i was getting what i was paying for. Lets face it PlayStation is going under unless the next xbox tanks which im sure it will the Playstation3 will end up in some dirty pawn shop like the Dreamcast.

while after reading the difference between ps+ & xbox live i think sony has a good thing going for them. no pay to play. in fact people u just pay to play even more good stuff then u nominally would. now i do think thay should do SOMETHING about game people already own that r free to ps+ now. maybe a way to trake if u got it & give u the option 2 download some other free game….like whats comein out the month after….like a ps++

I was about to test out the 3 month package of Plus then I read ” Subscription renews automatically and continues until canceled” . This is a deal breaker for me. I will never bother trying out this Plus service as long as it “renews automatically” .

Basically you plan on charging my credit card without my permission if I forget to cancel. And I probably would forget to cancel since Sony only offers 3 months and 1 year.

Sorry Sony. If you lose the “renew automatically” term to Plus let me know and I will try out but as long as this stands as is I will never bother with Plus.

RE: Automatic Download: My buddies and I have had different results with this after a) turning it on, and b) going into games that NEED updating [Disc & PSN] and cancelling the install.
First of all – it will update only 1 to 4 titles [depending on size] every nite [AM] , the next nite it will occasionally finish up where it left off…other times it seems to do nothing [Skip a day] What exactly does …”install any game updates for the games you have been playing” Mean? —Does that mean ONLY recently played? last 3? 5? I know PS+ a constantly evolving service, but can we have an idea how this works before we waste our time loading every game we own to see if it’ll ‘decide’ to update later?

“Once downloaded, the games are yours to keep and play as long as you are a member of PlayStation Plus. If your subscription lapses and then you re-subscribe, the games you have already downloaded will reactivate, so you still have access to them. Additionally, if you delete one of the titles from your PS3, but decide you want to get it back, then you can re-download from the PlayStation Plus section of the PSN Store if the game is still there, or, if the game has expired from the PlayStation Plus section of the PSN Store, you can simply search for it on PS Store and download it again at no extra cost.”

I bought Playstation Plus yesterday. The 3 month package. I downloaded the 2 avatars available and Wipeout HD. Wipeout HD by it self without a subscription is 10 dollars. I payed 17 for Playstation plus and your telling me that I payed 17 bucks to play a game for 3 months that I could have forever for 10 bucks! Thats [DELETED], excuse my language but I find that very bad. FIX THAT PLEASE. If we get a game with our subscription of Playstation Plus we should be able to keep it FOREVER. Would YOU rather pay 17 bucks for a game for 3 months, or 10 dollars for the same game FOREVER???

Jonny – Yes, canceling automatic renewal means you get your full subscription term, but your card isn’t charged automatically at its end. If you like it, you could sign up for another term before it expires and not lose any of the games you downloaded. If not, you let it expire and that’s that. And just like a magazine subscription, there will be a lot of content that doesn’t interest you. For me, it was worth a try for a few bucks a month.

Is unacceptable what is going on between the USA Plus and Europe Plus. we pay the same, we should have the same content, but it is not the case, it is not right I do not know what’s Sony Playstation problem, with Europe, but I wonder. Ou resolvem o problema ou isto vai dar muito que falar eu garanto.

so i asked before if we would be compensated if we owned qore already. if you have a tv package and upgrade it mid month you will be compensated. nonetheless i cant find my question here anymore. not to say that its not. but i can’t find it. several others asked the same. I saw one answered as follows

Susan Panico | June 25th, 2010 at 9:51 am
We realize that some Qore subscribers will also want to subscribe to PlayStation Plus. We are sure that you will find there is a ton of great content, special deals and cool features in PS Plus and recongize that adding Qore is a bonus for Plus users and not the main contraction.

In other words the answer is no we are ripping you off at that turn. I don’t see why a straight answer cannot be given and i also don’t see why you would rip off your customers. if this is answered i assume ill get the run around like im on tech support. or it’ll be ignored/deleted